Ok so I have a severely jacked-up 95 honda civic lx...
the radiator is shot, the starter is on it's way out, the transmission is out, and the tires are bald.
I decided not to fix it when the transmission broke back in january but didn't fix it, instead I just bought a new vehicle. Now I am realizing a need for a second car so I was going to try to fix what was wrong with it.
But now it doesn't even start...
It sat idle for at least 2 months before I realized it didn't start anymore
The car turns over but does not start. The engine also shakes severely when trying to start.
So far I have checked:
-the battery is good; terminals are clean
-there is fuel from the fuel filter, the fuel pump activates when ignition is "on"
-spark plugs, coil, distributor cap and rotor, and plug wires have been replaced within 5000 miles, all have been checked anyway
-primary and secondary resistance is correct in coil
-voltage shown in icm, along with proper resistance
-spark plugs are sparking
-oil level is good
-there is gas in the tank

the only thing I noticed was two of the spark plugs were soaked in oil when I pulled them out. I cleaned the holes out as best I could but there was no change. I don't know if maybe this could have something to do with the excessive vibration since the two oily plugs were on the same side of the engine...
any ideas would be extremely helpful

 

check the seals

 

First lets get this down. You said the engine turns over, but doesn't start. The you said when trying to start it shakes. Does that mean it cranks and sputters like it wants to start or just turns over but no sign of sputtering/engine fire? Check your compression if you can. It will tell you a lot about the status of your car. If you've never done this, it is not that hard to do. Go out and get yourself a compression tester. It is relatively inexpensive, compared to most tools.

 

yeah i'm saying that when i turn the key to start it, it cranks, shakes really bad, but doesn't start
i'll check the seals like pcupo12 said because i also notice an unknown oil leak coming from somewhere higher than the oil pan

 

you could always drop a new motor in it!!! [sm=groupwave.gif]

 

is the oil on the top or bottom of the plugs? like, is it above the threads, or below them?

 

i figured it out....well, not really. it starts and runs now. i checked the seals and put it back together and it started..